Manhattan Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty healthcare product company focused on the development of innovative treatments, today posted its results from a phase I/II study of AST-915 to treat essential tremors, a movement disorder that causes involuntary shaking of the hands, arms, head, voice and upper body.

The company reported that data from the single does study showed AST-915 as safe and well-tolerated with an obvious effect on the tremors. While there was no statistically significant effect on tremor power after 80 minutes of administration of the treatment, statistically significant reductions were evident at later time, up to 300 minutes after administration.

“This early positive data in subjects with essential tremor clearly demonstrates human proof of concept and indicates a need to explore the effect of higher doses and longer term administration of AST-915,” Malcolm Morville, PhD, director of Manhattan Pharmaceuticals stated in the press release.

The study was conducted at The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in terms of a CRADA agreement between the NIH and Ariston Pharmaceuticals Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Manhattan Pharmaceuticals.